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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29500365">You Are My Horizon</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FayeHunter/pseuds/FayeHunter'>FayeHunter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Flower/Tattoo Shop [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>All Time Low (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Body image mentions, Established Relationship, M/M, Self Harm References, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, at all times i am thinking of him, jack is an english teacher, rian is a tattoo artist, rian is sappy and in love and he just loves his boyfriend, that's not important, trans jack barakat is now my thoughts, what is important is</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:22:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,002</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29500365</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FayeHunter/pseuds/FayeHunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack comes to visit Rian at work. Rian's hopelessly in love.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Barakat/Rian Dawson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Flower/Tattoo Shop [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2178441</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You Are My Horizon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Alright lets take it from the top:<br/>Bet you never saw ATL fic coming from me? Well, here it is. Once again, this is part of a larger fic I'm writing. I'm blaming Rian's v-day thirst trap and Jack just being, you know, Jack for writing this. The only important thing to know going into this is that Rian and Jack are dating, Jack is trans, and that Rian works at a tattoo parlor owned by Ashton and Calum. The tattoo parlor is across from the flower show Luke (also trans) and Michael (non-binary) own. </p><p>Big thanks to: <a href="https://tigerteeff.tumblr.com/">Heath</a> for yelling at me about Trans Jack while I plotted this fic out. Didn't know we needed Trans Jack till right now. Thanks to<br/><a href="https://lifewasradical.tumblr.com/">Amanda</a>, <a href="https://cakelftv.tumblr.com/">Mandie</a>, <a href="https://staticsounds.tumblr.com/">Molly</a>, and<br/><a href="https://blackbutterfliescal.tumblr.com/">Brooke</a> for listening to me talk about this fic as I wrote it and commenting on how EMO one part of it was. Love the support guys thank you!</p><p>Title is from Edge of Tonight by All Time Low. Please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>Rian’s sketching out the tattoo he’s designing when Jack comes into the back area of the parlor. He sighs dramatically, dropping himself into Rian’s lap and straddling him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Babe,” Jack whines.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello to you too. Who’s watching Cam?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The puppy can be left alone for like an hour. I’ve been home all day. I missed you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You saw me this morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was hours ago. It’s like almost 5:00pm. I missed you,” Jack says, dropping his head down, resting it under Rian’s chin. Rian sighs, putting his pencil down and running his hands under Jack’s shirt. Jack sighs, pressing a kiss to Rian’s neck, easing into the touch. Rian likes Jack, all long legs and lean muscle, the contrast he is to Rian himself. He’s dyed his hair recently, a soft shade of blonde that contrasts with the dark hair of his beard. Rian remembers how excited Jack was about the beard when he started growing it, crowing that getting the hysterectomy finally helped him grow the hair that being on T didn’t. Jack’s painfully handsome these days, angled cheekbones and jaw framed by his beard, comfortable in his own skin. Jack has a soft smile on his face, as he pulls back, kissing Rian on the lips softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They trade soft kisses for a few moments before Jack pulls back, grinning mischievously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Rian says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You may not suck my dick at my place of work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why not?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sanitizing the whole workstation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack sighs dramatically, flopping onto Rian, “But you have to do that anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I’m not letting you get this place dirty. Or risking someone walking in on us Jack, these are my co-workers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Spoil sport,” Jack says. Rian huffs a laugh, letting Jack steal his snapback and put it on. He snuggles into Rian’s side, watching him sketch out the flowers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s this one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tattoo for a client. She wants a whole bouquet for flowers for her family.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that Sierra’s thing? The flowers?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She wants it in watercolor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So your speciality.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My speciality,” Rian says. Jack hums, getting a hand underneath Rian’s shirt, tracing his abs lightly as he keeps watching Rian. He has to be uncomfortable, at the angle he’s at but Jack makes no move to change his position.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you head home? I have to finish this sketch up and it’s not going to be very interesting for you,” Rian says, after Jack shifts for the fifth time in ten minutes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to head home though. Wanna go with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You drove your car here Jack. You’d be going home without me anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to go home and wait around for you though. I want to wait here, with you. I want to spend time with you,” Jack says, pouting lightly. Rian sighs, heart soft. He ducks his head down pressing a kiss to Jack’s temple. Jack laughs, scrunching his nose up. He rests his head on Rian’s shoulder, watching as Rian works on the sketch around Jack’s long limbs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, I didn’t see myself being 32,” Jack says, just barely above a whisper. Rian stops what he’s doing, turning his attention to the boyfriend in his lap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. At 15 I didn’t see myself making it to 20. I was a depressed teen, self-harming because I hated the way I looked and that I couldn’t understand what was going on. I thought I’d kill myself before 20 trying to figure it out. Then, I was 20 and I couldn’t see myself at 25. I finally had the words to understand what I was feeling and who I was, but then you’re going through therapists and doctors, people are giving you papers and reports and explanations and telling you how much money it all is to just be yourself. I thought I’d die under the stress of it all, the constant feeling of just having to fight to be myself,” Jack says, shrugging. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He picks at the edge of Rian’s shirt, pulling at a loose thread there, head resting on Rian’s shoulder, nose touching his neck. Rian puts his pencil down, stroking his hand over Jack’s back, letting Jack nuzzle into him. They sit there for a few moments in silence before Rian finally works up the courage to ask Jack his question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about at 25?” Rian asks, soft, squeezing Jack’s hip lightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got the right therapist. I went on T. They finally approved things and I had the money for my top surgery. There was light at the end of the tunnel. And then I met you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I love who I am, don’t get me wrong. I love being trans and I love being myself and I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy</span>
  </em>
  <span> with myself. It took me so long to get there, but I love myself. But it’s hard, when you’re two months out of top surgery, when your voice still cracks, when you’re worried about how everyone else will see you, to picture someone loving you the way you love yourself. Especially when they look like you,” Jack says. He tilts his head up, looking at Rian, eyes a little wet. Rian laughs, breathless, at the idea of it all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He remembers meeting Jack with the sort of clarity that only comes with the certainty of knowing that </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is your person</span>
  </em>
  <span>, with the knowledge to capture this moment, so you can tell your family, your friends, write it into your wedding vows, tell it to your children. Alex had invited him to the back to school brunch he hosted with Lisa every year before school started. Rian had grumbled about it, considering he’s not a teacher what does it matter, but Alex has insisted that as his oldest friend Rian should come (he found out later Alex had intentionally done it to try and set him and Jack up, but Rian can’t really be mad about it). He’d found Jack, with his grown out emo fringe and home dyed red hair, standing by the music, trying to hijack it to play Blink-182 and complaining that Alex never let him have his way. Rian had found himself hopelessly enamored, listening to Jack rant about music and the merits of not teaching Romeo and Juliet to bored teens when Shakespeare has better plays. Rian had been so caught up in what Jack was saying, he hadn’t even noticed brunch had ended until Alex kicked them both out. Brunch had led to late lunch, led to dinner, led to Rian taking Jack for ice cream just so he didn’t have to leave, giving Jack his number and waiting for a phone call. Rian doesn’t think there’s ever been a time he wasn’t enamored by Jack, hopelessly in love with him from the moment Jack had demanded to see Rian’s Blink-182 tattoo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean someone who ‘look like me’?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Handsome, masculine, rugged. You’re a tattoo artist and you work out and you’re like the kind of guy I wanted to be when I was a teen except I’m not. I’m me and there’s nothing wrong with me, but like compared to you. I’m the dorky English teacher. I’m all tall and lanky and stuff.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love dorky English teacher Jack.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you do. You look at me with such love and adoration it hurts sometimes. The first time you told me you loved me I went home and cried,” Jack says. He’s sitting up now, arms draped over Rian’s shoulders, tears in his eyes. Rian, reaches up, brushing them away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did what?” Rian asks, quiet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I cried. I cried because you were everything teenage Jack dreamed of and couldn’t have. You loved me and </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved me</span>
  </em>
  <span> and you didn’t care that my voice cracked or about the scars or about anything else that made me feel self-conscious at the time because it was new and fresh. The first time you called me your boyfriend I didn’t know what to do. I felt so special and loved. You just loved me and it felt so real. And I was 25 and for the first time, I could picture myself at 30, at 40, at 50 because I could picture my life, I could picture sharing my life with you. And now I’m 32 and I want to tell teenage Jack that it’s worth it, all the waiting is worth it because you’re here. You’re here and I love you so much Ri,” Jack says. He’s crying now, eyes red, nose red. Rian pulls him into a hug, realizes he’s crying too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I love you. You’re a hurricane and I never expected to fall in love the way I did with you, but god did I. I was so worried that first day if I let you go home, if I let you leave, you’d forget all about me. Except you kept calling me and texting me and then you practically moved into my house and I didn’t want to let you go. We have a home, a life, a dog. It’s everything I pictured when I was 17 and realized I liked guys too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guess we’re just stuck together,” Jack says, sniffling. Rian laughs, a little wet, pulling Jack into a hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guess we are.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Think Ash will let you leave early? I wanna go home now and I don’t wanna wait for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I don’t have any more appointments and I can take the sketches home.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. I think we deserve some pizza and white claws,” Jack says, solemnly. He’s smiling though and Rian’s hopelessly in love with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It isn’t till the drive home, which Rian barely managed to get to because Jack kept kissing him against his car, refusing to just let Rian get in the car and drive home so they could have dinner and cuddle, that Rian wonders what’s stopping him from making this permanent. They live together, they have a dog, Jack’s all but told Rian he sees them as forever and Rian feels the same way. What’s stopping Rian from just proposing? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He takes the thought with him for the next week, searching for rings on his off time, trying to get other people’s opinions on what Jack might like until Rian finally decides on a simple black band for the ring. He ends up in the flower shop the next week, deciding that Jack deserves nice flowers for a proposal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke is at the counter, fixing up a floral arrangement when Rian comes in. He looks up, surprised, blushing a little. Rian’s not dumb, he knows Luke has a crush on him. He also knows Luke has a crush on Jack and a major crush on Ashton, so he’s pretty sure Luke is just falling for anyone he thinks is cute until Ashton finally kisses him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rian, hi! What brings you in? More flowers for the shop?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Flowers for Jack. I want to propose and I thought the sweetest man deserved some flowers to go with it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke looks at Rian in awe, lips parted in an “o.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to propose?” Luke whispers. Rian furrows his brow, confused at Luke’s surprise, until he remembers that Luke’s trans too. Luke’s trans and he’s probably having the same reaction Jack did the first time he and Rian went to pride and Jack saw other people like them together, the idea that they weren’t alone. It softens Rian’s heart even more. He gets the older brother affection Jack has for Luke and Michael, the need to care for them. It’s hard not to when Luke’s staring at him, all wide blue eyes and open wonder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Figured my boyfriend of seven years deserves to be my husband forever. Have some roses for it?” Rian says. Luke beams, hurrying around the counter, pulling out red roses to make a bouquet, bouncing with excitement. It’s infectious, making Rian even more excited to propose to Jack, seeing how excited Luke is, smiling the whole time. Ashton let him out of work early too, so he could be home to make dinner with Jack when he gets back from school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rian’s anxious the whole drive home, flowers in the passenger seat, tapping his hands nervously on the steering wheel. What if he’s overthinking this whole thing? What if he’s fucking up the best thing in his life by proposing? What if all the nice words Jack said don’t mean marriage, they just mean staying together? What if Rian’s about to make the stupidest decision of his life? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack’s car is already in the driveway when Rian gets back. He wasn’t expecting Jack to beat him home. It makes the pit in his stomach open wider, makes him even more anxious. He drops his keys five times before he finally manages to get them into the lock and open the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ri?” Jack calls when Rian’s through the door. Camden comes sprinting through the house, barking excitedly at Rian until he picks him up, holding him in one arm while trying to keep the roses out of the way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. You’re home early.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Took the rest of my shit home. Why the fuck should I grade bad essays on </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Odyssey </span>
  </em>
  <span>at my desk when I can grade them on our couch while you yell at </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jeopardy</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t yell at </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jeopardy</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Rian says, offended.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes you do babe,” Jack says. Rian drops his bag by the front of the kitchen, placing the flowers on the counter and Cam on the floor. Jack’s back is turned to him, watching the chicken quesadillas he’s making in the pan intensely. Rian sneaks up behind him, wrapping his arms around Jack’s waist and running his hands over Jack’s hip bones, resting his chin on Jack’s shoulder. Jack sighs, leaning back into the touch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Rian says softly, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Jack says, turning his head to get a kiss from Rian. He glances over Rian’s shoulder, perking up when he notices the flowers on the counter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You bought flowers?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For your other lover?” Jack teases, abandoning the pan to turn around in Rian’s arms, kiss him softly. Rian smiles, tugging Jack closer, kissing his lips, his neck. Jack laughs, squirming in his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t kiss me like that while I’m cooking. We’ll start a fire,” Jack says. Rian rolls his eyes, letting Jack play with his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I missed you,” Rian says softly. Jack snorts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was only 8 hours babe,” he teases. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t text me today. I’m used to you texting me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The teens were being wild today. I don’t remember this much drama when I was their age,” Jack says. Rian rolls his eyes, pulls Jack in for a hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack eventually wiggles from Rian’s hold, turning back to the stove. Camden’s flopped down next to them, sighing heavily. Rian swallows, hand in his pocket fingering the ring box. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Jack?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you marry me?” Rian asks, sinking to one knee, pulling the box out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very funny Ri,” Jack says, turning to face him. Whatever else he was going to say dies as he takes in the sight of Rian on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you marry me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit,” Jack breathes out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not the English teacher, but I have a whole speech planned. You know, the moment I met you, I knew. I saw you standing in the corner of Alex’s living room, yelling at him to pick better music and I knew. I wanted to commit everything to memory because that was the memory I wanted to tell everyone at our wedding. I’ve known since the minute you demanded to see my tattoo in front of everyone and practically stripped me shirtless that I wanted to marry you. You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span> for me Jack. When I was 17 and scared shitless at the idea that I liked men, I didn’t know what to do. I never felt confident or comfortable enough to come out, to be myself, to picture myself with someone like you. And then I met you and it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> I could picture. You made me comfortable with myself, happy with myself. Your endless love and support and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>being </span>
  </em>
  <span>reminds me everyday how lucky I am to know you, to have met you, to have you love me. You’ve never given a shit about my depression or the way I am or my anxiety. You just remind me of brighter days, of the idea that I’m allowed to have this, to have your love. I can’t picture my life without you, without loving you. I want forever. So, will you marry me?” Rian asks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, what the fuck yes! Of course I’ll fucking...come here!” Jack shouts, dragging Rian up to him. He pulls Rian in for a kiss, bumped noses and teeth because they’re too excited to kiss properly. Jack leans back, tears running down his cheeks, smiling widely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was worried for a minute,” Rian jokes, pulling the ring from the box and sliding it onto Jack’s finger. Jack holds his hand out admiring it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I would say no. Maybe all the coffee has fired your brain cells,” Jack teases. He turns to Rian, kissing him again, softer this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You never know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hell would freeze over before I said no to marrying you. You’re the love of my life,” he says, quietly. Rian smiles, pressing another kiss to his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, is something burning?” Rian asks after a few moments, when he realizes he smells smoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh shit!” Jack yells, turning frantically to fix the burning quesadillas, fanning the smoke to stop it from setting off the smoke detector. Rian laughs, helpless in the face of Jack’s panic, Camden’s distressed barking. It’s perfect, it’s everything Rian’s ever wanted in life. It’s everything he’s wanted since he met Jack at Alex’s brunch. It’s the life he’s always wanted.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come find me on <a href="https://pixiegrl.tumblr.com/">tumblr!</a> Talk to me about Stardust, 5sos, Luke Hemmings, or you can sidetrack me by giving me more fic ideas!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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